Royal Charlotte (1789 EIC ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Royal Charlotte (ship), Royal Charlotte (East Indiaman), and HMS Malabar.

History
East India Company
NameRoyal Charlotte
OwnerJohn Clements, principal managing owner.[1]
BuilderThomas Pitcher, Northfleet
Launched2 November 1789
FateSold to the Royal Navy in 1795
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Malabar
Acquired1795 by purchase
FateFoundered October 1796
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeFourth rate in Royal Navy service
Tons burthen125219⁄94 (bm)
Length
  • 161 ft 0 in (49.1 m) (overall)
  • 132 ft 3+1⁄4 in (40.3 m) (keel)
Beam42 ft 2+1⁄4 in (12.9 m)
Depth of hold17 ft 6 in (5.3 m)
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement350 as Fourth Rate
Armament
  • Lower deck: 28 × 18-pounder guns
  • Upper deck: 26 × 32-pounder carronades

Royal Charlotte was launched in 1789 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made two trips to China for the EIC and on the second of these, after the outbreak of war with France in 1793, assisted at the British capture of Pondicherry. Then, the Admiralty, desirous of quickly building up the Royal Navy, purchased a number of commercial vessels, including nine East Indiamen, to meet the need for small two-decker fourth rates to serve as convoy escorts.[3] The Admiralty purchased Royal Charlotte in 1795 and renamed her HMS Malabar. She made a trip to the West Indies where she was the lead ship of a small squadron that captured some Dutch colonies. She foundered in 1796 while escorting a convoy in the North Atlantic.

  1. ^ Hardy and Hardy (1811), p.136.
  2. ^ Winfield (2008), p.112.
  3. ^ Winfield (2008), p. 111.